JWA expands service, still seeks passengers

Travelers walk through Terminal C at John Wayne Airport. The one-year anniversary of the grand opening of the terminal is later this month. Many of the new terminal features are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B.SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Numbered arrival area columns. The columns on the arrival roadway will be numbered to make it easier for motorist to find arriving passengers.

More plug-ins for electronics. Small consoles with plug-ins, like the ones in Terminal C, will be added in Terminals A and B.

Improved lighting. Light fixtures in Terminals A and B will be retrofitted to match the LED lighting in Terminal C

Frequent flyers entering John Wayne Airport's Terminal C have the routine down: Park in the adjacent structure. Check in at a free-standing kiosk. Walk directly to security screening. Go to the gate and board the flight. On a good day, it can take 20 minutes or less.

The process may not sound extraordinary except that a year ago John Wayne passengers couldn't do any of those things - or at least not as seamlessly.

Terminal C opened on Nov. 14, 2011 as part of a $543 million expansion project of Southern California's third largest airport. Supporters hailed the expansion as a forward-looking plan in anticipation of passenger growth, while detractors saw an ill-conceived facility whose half-billion dollar cost outweighed its usefulness.

A year later, the airport has scored several successes, including the long-awaited addition of Mexico flights and new customs service. Passenger growth, however, has been modest, up 1.7 percent through September, behind an upswing in passengers at LAX, San Diego International and Long Beach Airport. Orange County's passenger traffic remains well below the airport's 2007 high of just under 10 million travelers.

Airport Director Alan Murphy said he is pleased with the progress so far and that opportunities abound to add flights to more destinations – with Hawaii at the top of the list.

"June, July and August each had 4 percent to 5 percent growth," Murphy said. "September was up 1 percent, but it's always a little off the summer months, and October was very strong, which is a good sign heading into the holidays."

Lucy Dunn, chief executive of the Orange County Business Council, said she loves John Wayne but recognizes that the local airport so close to residential neighborhoods has its limitations.

"You have natural constraints at John Wayne like the runway length," said Dunn, who also sits on a new regional commission that wants to expand nearby Ontario Airport. "It's not likely to ever get flights to Paris or Dubai."

The expanded John Wayne fills an important niche in Southern California, said Michael Boyd, chairman of the Colorado aviation consulting firm Boyd International Group.

"It's a compatible airport that plays an important role in the L.A. basin," Boyd said. "And 78 percent of the seats are full out of John Wayne so it's going to continue to be an economic asset for the county."

After Terminal C opened last November, it took the better part of a year for the new operation to be fully completed. The terminal's baggage system initially failed to get Transportation Security Administration certification, so passengers with luggage to check were diverted to Terminal B for about a week after opening. The opening of some new restaurants and concessions was delayed for several months. Customs services did start until early summer.

The airport got a boost in June when AirTran, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, launched the airport's first service to Mexico with one daily flight each to Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas. Last month, Interjet, a Mexican airline, initiated once-a-day service to Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Murphy said Mexico travel demand has been strong, accounting for about one-third of the airport's passenger growth and already making up for the $900,000 in rent breaks the county gave the two airlines to initiate service.

The Mexico flights primarily serve Latino travelers coming to John Wayne from Mexico, but Murphy predicts that as word gets out, there will be increased demand by other travelers flying from Orange County. He thinks the airlines likely will be adding other Mexican destinations next year.

John Wayne's management has a financial incentive to increase travel to Mexico. The airport currently covers the cost of customs processing. If the airport can get at least 15,000 Mexico travelers, it can seek designation as a U.S. port of entry and the federal government will pick up the customs tab. Murphy said the airport already has exceeded the 15,000 threshold and he plans to request a port of entry designation next year.

Travelers walk through Terminal C at John Wayne Airport. The one-year anniversary of the grand opening of the terminal is later this month. Many of the new terminal features are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Passengers check in for a flight to Cabo San Lucas at the Air-Tran desk in Terminal C. The one-year anniversary of John Wayne Airport's Terminal C grand opening is later this month. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An American Airlines jet lands at John Wayne Airport in front of Terminal C. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A passenger checks in at one of the Southwest Airlines ticket counters. The one-year anniversary of John Wayne Airport's Terminal C grand opening is later this month. Many of the features of the new terminal are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A traveler walks into the line at the check-in counter at John Wayne Airport's Terminal C. The one-year anniversary of the grand opening of the terminal is later this month. Many of the new terminal features are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Passengers use a remote check-in kiosk in Terminal A at John Wayne Airport. The kiosks, first used in Terminal C when it opened last year, have been added to other terminals. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Travelers utilize a small lounge area at the end of the International Arrivals area in Terminal C. The one-year anniversary of John Wayne Airport's Terminal C grand opening is later this month. Many of the new terminal features are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A man plays with his son after collecting his baggage in the baggage claim area of Terminal C at John Wayne Airport. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Arriving travelers are greeted curbside in the lower level of Terminal C. The columns at right will soon be color and number coded to make it easier to find passengers for pickup. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A passenger checks in at one of the Southwest Airlines ticket counters. The one-year anniversary of John Wayne Airport's Terminal C grand opening is later this month. Many of the features of the new terminal are being incorporated into the older terminals A and B. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A traveler walks along the upper level of Terminal B at John Wayne Airport, silhouetted in the giant American flag hanging from the domed ceiling of the terminal. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A sign on the connector ramp from the 55 freeway to the entrance of John Wayne Airport gives directions to different areas inside the airport long before a driver reaches the entrance. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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